Passiflora caerulea, commonly known as the Blue Passion Flower or the Common Passion Flower, is a vine native to South America (Argentina,Paraguay (where it is widely known as the Mburucuyá in Guaraní) , Uruguay and Brazil). These names may also be applied to Passiflora edulissometimes known as the passionfruit.

It is popular with gardeners because of its intricate, scented flowers that have an almost plastic-looking appearance.

A woody vine capable of growing to 15–20 m high where supporting trees are available. The leaves are alternate, palmately five-lobed like a spread hand(sometimes three or seven lobes), 10–18 cm long and wide. The base of each leaf has a flagellate-twining tendril 5–10 cm long, which twines around supporting vegetation to hold the plant up.

The flower is complex, about 10 cm in diameter, with the five sepals and petals similar in appearance, whitish in colour, surmounted by a corona of blue or violet filaments, then five greenish-yellow stamens and three purple stigmas. The fruit is an oval orange-yellow berry 6 cm long by 4 cm in diameter, containing numerous seeds; it is eaten, and the seeds spread by mammals and birds. In tropical climates, it will flower all year round.

(From Wikipedia, April 18th, 2011)

– – –

Herbaceous vines. Stem terete, slightly angulate, glabrous. Stipules reniform, ca. 1.2 cm, clasping, margin undulate; petiole 2-3 cm, with 2-4(-6) small glands; leaf blade 5-7 × 6-8 cm, papery, base cordate, margin entire, palmately (3-)5(-9)-lobed; lobes ovate-oblong, middle lobe slightly larger than lateral lobes, glabrous. Inflorescence a reduced cyme, central flower not developed, one lateral branch converted to a tendril, flower opposite tendril; bracts broadly ovate, 2-3 cm, margin entire. Pedicel 3-4 cm. Flowers 6-8(-10) cm in diam. Sepals light green outside, white inside, 3-4.5 cm, awn 2-3 mm. Petals white to light green, 2.5-4 cm. Corona in 3 or 4 series, filamentous; outer 2 series (0.6-)1-1.5 cm, base dark purple, middle white, apex bright blue; inner 1 or 2 series 1-2 mm, base light green, apex white and capitate; operculum fimbricate, lobes dark purple, with annular nectary at base; disk 1-2 mm high; androgynophore 8-10 mm tall. Filaments ca. 1 cm, flat, free; anthers oblong, ca. 1.3 cm. Ovary ovoid-globose; styles free, purple, 6-8 mm; stigma reniform. Berry orange-yellow or yellow, ovoid-globose or subglobose, ca. 6 cm. Seeds many, obcordate, ca. 5 mm. Fl. May-Jul.